Balancing coaster wagon with airplane controls



Jan. 31, 1933. SHAW 1,895,737

BALANCING COASTER WAGON WITH AIRPLANE CONTROLS F iled Nov. 5, 1930 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Zloyrl ATTORN EY L. SHAW Jan. 31, 1933.

BALANCING COASTER' WAGON WITH AIRPLANE CONTROLS Filed Nov. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIII INVENTOR ,Zilayd Ska/11f,

BY M76,

ATTORNEY E'NESS Patented Jan. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES LLOYD SHAW, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO BALANCING COASTER WAGON wIrHAInrLAnE oon'rnots Application filed November This invention relates to balancing coaster wagons and the primary object thereof is by the use of this wagon to train young I drivers in the use of the foot rudder and control stick employed in airplanes so that they will instinctively react correctly to its unusual controls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wagon of this character having a balanced bed in which all of the controls are integral with it and move as it moves thereby producing a feel and response similar to that in an airplane.

Another ob 'ect is toconstruct a wagon of this character in which a balancing bed is mounted to be rocked from side to side and the vehicle is to be steered by means of the feet in a manner similar to that employed in an airplane.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modification without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the claimed invention; there being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and practical form, in which:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a coaster wagon constructed in accordance with this invention showing the rudder control in oporation in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coaster wa on.

ig. 3 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 44l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4; and v i Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing a portion of the control stick and its mounting.

In the embodiment illustrated the wagon constituting this invention comprises a frame or chassis 1 equipped with a fixed front wheel axle 2 and a rear axle 3pivotally mounted midway its ends intermediate the width of said frame at the rear thereof as is shown clearly in Fig. 1, the pivot bolt being indicated at 4. a

Mounted to tilt sidewise relatively to the frame 1 is a balancing bed 10, the front pivot 5, 1930. Serial No. 493,622. 7

boltbeing shown at'll and the rearpivot boltat 12. These bolts Hand 12 extend through depending lugs or blocks 13 and 14 mounted respectively at the front and rear'ends of the wagon bed on the lower face thereofIasis shown clearly in Fig. 4. They also extend through upstanding blocks 15' and 16 carried bythe frame 1. "1 Arranged transversely on the upper-face of the front end of the bed lO i's whatwe term a rudder bar 17 pivotally connected midway itsends to the bed midway its width as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The 'ends' o'fthis bar 17 project'beyondthe sides ofthefibed: 10 v and have attached thereto by any-suitable means, preferably eye5bolts18, controlwires 19. and 20. The other ends of these .wires are connected by eye-bolts 21 to the rear axle 3 to which the rear wheels W arezattached andwhich constitute the steering. wheels. 1'. It is understoodthat the rudder control wires 19v and 20 operate when the rudder bar is shifted to turn the axle 3 for steeringthe' wagon. When the driver pushes forward on the rudder bar with. either foot the wagon 1 will be steered to that side instead of in the mannerto which he is accustomed in allother} land machines. This will result in teaching the driver this difficult and unnatural method I of steering which is used in the steering-of 30 airplanes. f

rTo provide for the sidewise tiltingof the wagon bed 10 the pivot bolts 11 and 12 above described are employed, and balancecontrol wires 22 and 22a are connected with the bed 35:

10 and with a balance-control stick-25 in a manner presently tobe described; '-These WiIGS'QQ/afld 22a extend transversely of the vehicle as shownclearly in Fig. .5 and pass under pulleys 28 carried by the upper face of'the frame or chassis 1 and in'spacedrelaa tion as is shown clearly in Fig. 5. The inner endsof .thesewires 22 and 22a are connected: with the lowerend of 'the balance' control stick 25 by suitable means here ShOWIIlII the. 7

form of aneye-bolt 24: which extends through a loop-like connection here shown in the form of an eye 26 on the lower end of the stick 25 in a manner .to permit some free play between the stick and the wires. i I

The control stick 25 is made in the form of a lever mounted between the arms of an upstanding inverted U-shaped bracket 28 mounted on the wagon bed 10 and pivotally connected with said bed by journals 29 so that theside-wise rocking of the stick will operate to move this bracket on its journals and cause the lower end of the stick to exert a pulling action on one or the other of the wires 22 or 22a according to the direction in which the stick is moved. When'the control stick is moved to the leftthe lower end of the stick a beyond its pivot or fulcrum moves to the right exerting a pull on the-left control wire and releases the right control wire. This motion is transferred, through the pulleys 23 so that the left wire pulls downthe left side of the.

balancing wagon bedlO and the right control wire permits the right sideto rise. It will thus be seenthat when the control stick 25 is moved to either side the wagon bed 10 tilts to the same's'ide and simulates the action 7 of the pilot seat in an airplane when he moves 7 ing on said chassis, and a manually operable] his controlstickto the side. V

W ithout further description it is thought thatthe features and advantages of the inventionLwillbe readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, an dit will, of course,'be a 1": A wagon of the class described comprising a chassis, a bed mounted for sidewise tiltcontrolj'stickconnectedthereto whereby said 7 ing on 's'aid chassi's, control wires forholding bed may intentionally be tilted.

' 2. "A wagon' of the'class described 'compri's-'= ing a'chassis', a bed mounted for sidewise tiltsaid bed in balanced position, and a control stick movably' mounted on and extending through to the nether side Ofthe bed, the nether end of said stick being connected to said wires to tilt the bed towards either'side with reference to the chassis.

I Awagonof the class described compris ing a-chassis, a bed spaced above said chassis and pivot means on which said bed is rock-- able' sidewise, pulleys carried by the chassis, control wires 'connected with the bed and passing around said pulley sand a control 7 stick fulcrumed on saidbedwith one end extended therethroug'h to the'nether side of the bed, the-nether end of the stick being'c'onnec'ted 'with's'aid' wires whereby the rocking of the stick will manipulat'ethe wires to rock thbd'. a a a P LLOYD SHAW. 

